| May
1, 2006
At
Miami International Airport, we met with the students and their parents.
Each student was given their Insurance information, airline ticket
and a goodie bag with granola bars, chocolate, and water bottle.
After goodbyes, we proceeded through security to the gate.
At the gate, students were given information about the trip and
hints for the flight. The
flight to Paris was delayed but uneventful. The students listened to
our orientation and packed light so we did not have to check in baggage
and made good time at the airport. The Paris Hotel was not the best
but we survived.
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| May
2, 2006
|
After
checking in at the hotel, we took the students on the Metro to the
Pantheon. The students had an opportunity to visit the graves of
important individuals in French history and science. We spent time
discussing the French Revolution and its relationship to the American
Revolution.
From
there, we visited the Gardens of Luxembourg Palace. The gardens also
house the French Senate. The students were able to
see
the scope of security surrounding the buildings.
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After
the gardens we walked to the Church of Saint Sulpice, known for being the
site of the French meridian line (The Rose Line) which runs through the
floor of the church. It is infamous, as a site from the Da Vinci
Code. Students marveled at the sight of the Smart Car parked outside
of the church.
Finally,
we took the Metro to the Champs d'Elysee for dinner and then walked to the
Arc of Triomphe, then home to the hotel and crashing for the night.
The students are a nice group and have bonded well. |
| May
3, 2006
|
We
began our day with the tour of the city of Paris on the "On and
Off" bus. The tour covered most of the major sites of Paris.
We disembarked at the Eiffel Tour for photos and to discuss the
construction
and purpose of the tower. The afternoon was spent at the Sorbonne.
The final stop of the day was an evening visit to the Louvre Museum.
Here our students got to discuss what they learned about the major works
of art at the museum as they viewed them.
|
| May
4, 2006
|
We
began with a visit to the Museum of Business
and
Industry (Musee des Arts et Metiers). Both of us discussed the
French contributions to science and industry. Our students were able
to see Lavoisier's lab and his equipment, early contributions in
mechanical engineering, and other sciences. The museum gave students
visual displays of the development of new products and how they caused
other industries to disappear. Afterwards, students were given free
time. Some visited the Picasso Museum and others went shopping.
We met again at the Fountain of St. Michel to walk to Madame Curie's lab.
The lab tour included a movie on her life and contributions to science and
especially to the treatment of cancer. Students were also able to
see the large medical research facility of La Sorbonne known as the Curie
Institute. Discussions were held about France being a leader in
medical research and its booming medical industry. From the Curie
Institute, we returned to our hotel for a well-needed rest. The
evening was spent on a lovely cruise on the Seine. |
| May
5, 2006
We
departed our hotel at 6am to the Gare d’Nord to embark on the Chunnel.
Security is tight and passport control was held by the UK in Paris.
Students discussed the gains from the establishment of the European Union
and the ease of travel between countries.
After crossing the channel, we arrived
at
Waterloo Station in London. We took two Checker cabs to the hotel in
Bayswater. Traffic in London was light due to the City’s
imposition of a $16 per day congestion fee on all private cars driving
within city limits.
After
checking in at the hotel, we were off on the Underground to Westminster
and a cruise along the Thames toward the City of Greenwich. Students
were able to view major landmarks such as the Globe Theatre, Big Ben,
Tower of London and others. We passed the growing skyscrapers of Europe’s
Investment Banking Centre at Canary Wharf. |
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The
cruise ended at Greenwich and we began the steep uphill climb to the Royal
Observatory. Students
were able to take pictures of where time begins the meeting of the western
and eastern meridians, Longitude 0. We discussed Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT or ZULU) and its importance for the expansion of the British Empire.
Students spent time in the newly revised museum which chronicles the
development of time measuring devices
and navigational devices.
We had a quick lunch while sitting in the cemetery of an old church before
returning to Westminster by the Tube. Students had free time before
dinner at a local Italian Restaurant.
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| May
6, 2006
The
day began at the Science Museum in the affluent Kensington section of
London. Students saw early medical practices, the Babbage computer,
the Phillips National Income model, and energy production exhibits.
Discussion centered on the interaction of science and economics.  |
From
there a short
visit to Harrods and its fabulous Food Halls then on to the British
Museum. Students
were able to visit the Reading room where great English minds worked and
also the exhibits of the Rosetta stone and Elgin Marbles.
Then
back to the hotel to change for the theatre. After
dinner at a local Thai
Restaurant, we went to see the longest running show in London's West
End--- Mousetrap. From there a
stop for dessert and the students
ended their evening in the lively Covent Garden and Leicester Square
area. |
| May
7, 2006 |
Our
last day in London began with a bus tour of the city. Students got to see
Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and other famous sites. After a short
visit to Westminster's Abbey, students split up. Some went to visit
the Tower of London and others shopping on Oxford Street. Later that
evening, we took a walking tour of the sites of Jack the Ripper’s
murders in London’s seedy Whitechapel area.
We concluded our evening with dinner at an Indian Restaurant. |
|
May
8, 2006 
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